


4th Times The Charm

by orphan_account



Category: It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
Genre: Angst, Coming Out, Episode Related, Homophobic Language, Internalized Homophobia, M/M, Recreational Drug Use, alcohol use, dennis is bi he's just not gonna say so till later
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-06
Updated: 2016-09-08
Packaged: 2018-08-13 12:09:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,425
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7976293
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The four times Mac comes out and the one time he doesnt take it back.<br/>(excuse spelling or grammar mistakes im writing this on mobile and idc about spell check)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The First Time - High School

__The evening had been full of stolen booze and overpriced drugs. Dennis and Mac had snuck back into Dennis' house, trying their hardest not to fall back down the stairs. It was late. The boys lay next to each other in Dennis' king size bed, letting silence fill the room. Neither one could sleep. Dennis closed his eyes, trying to will himself into unconsciousness.  
"Dennis?" Said a quite voice.

"What wrong now Mac?"

"I gotta tell you something, but don't tell anyone I said this okay?"  
"Okay... what is it?"

"Okay well..." His voice was soft and distant. Dennis looked at Mac through his peripheral vision, the other boy had turned towards him. "I don't think I like girls, like at all man."

"Are you still high bro, what are you trying to say?"

"I think I might be gay."  
Moments passed. Only the sound of breathing could be heard.

"Well yeah obviously man."

"What? What do you mean 'obviously'?"

"Dude I've known you're gay since I met you, its not that big of a secret."

"Fuck you I'm no pansy."

"But you just said-"

"Nah man I was fucking with you, I'm straight." Mac got up out of the bed and stood with his head in his hands. Dennis attempted to comfort the other boy and lightly placed one hand on his shoulder. Mac pulled away from his touch like it was burning him.

"Dude fuck off I'm not a fag okay? Jesus Christ." Dennis backed away to the other end of the bed. 

"Alright man, I was just fucking with you too okay? I don't think youre gay at all dude."

"Really?"

"Yeah of course man, I mean look at you, youre way too tough."

"I am arent I?" Mac grinned in the darkness but Dennis could tell it was all a front. 'God why did I say that?' He thought, scared he just fucked up Mac's one chance of coming out.  
"Just... come back to bed. We never have to talk about this again alright?" Mac looked at Dennis, considering it for a moment.  
"Nah you're okay, I'll go sleep on your couch." He said, then swiftly walked over to the small love-seat on the other side of the room. Dennis sighed then settled back into his bed, missing the other boys warm presence beside him.


	2. Dennis? I love you

"Man that was a pretty fucked up day." Dennis said, opening the door to their apartment.

"Yeah I don't know about you but I wanna get blackout drunk." Mac replied falling down on the couch.

"Had the same thought man. I'll get us some beers." 

"Actually if you could get me the bottle in the drawer under the sink as well as a beer, that would be great."

"No problem man." Dennis opened the drawer to find a bottle of vodka. He grabbed the bottle, plus two shot glasses and four beers. The day had been rough so might as well drown their sorrows in alcohol. He set the vodka on the coffee table. Mac grabbed the bottle straight away and took a long drink from the bottle, stray liquid slipping from his lips. Dennis couldn't help but stare.

"You okay man? You seem a little off." Mac set the bottle down and looked at Dennis for a moment, not saying anything. Dennis could feel him trying to make eye contact, but couldn't bring himself to connect. 

Mac sighed picking up a beer. "I'm fine Den, don't worry about it." Dennis decided not to push it because he honestly didn't care that much. As long as Mac kept drinking with him there was barely any point in asking anymore questions. Five beers and half a bottle of vodka later he didn't have the same mentality. Mac had been quiet for a long time but now he was in the midst of a giggling fit. Dennis couldn't hell but laugh. 

"Hey, hey Mac buddy."

"Yeah man?"

"You remember... at the bar earlier."   
"With the Mcpolyes? Of course I remember they fake kidnapped us, there was a whole Die Hard thing going on, it was wild." He was still laughing, taking another long drink of beer. Dennis was starting to feel pretty spacey but he had to ask about this.

"Well do you remember when.... when you said." He said the next part in air quotes, "'Dennis? I love you', what was that about man." Dennis broke down into another giggle fit. It wasn't even that funny to him but he couldn't stop laughing. Until he noticed Mac's sad expression. "Wait woah woah whats wrong man? Don't pass out on me no-"

"Dennis, I do love you."

"What?" Mac was looking at him with that same puppy eyed expression he always used when he was upset about something. It all felt very familiar to Dennis, like this had happened before. 

"I love you man... or I think I do. I wish I didn't." He put his head in between his legs. Dennis swore he heard the other man praying. 

"Look Mac it's fine, okay? Its not your fault." 

"Oh what do you know Dennis?! You don't know shit, you don't know shit! Shut up about things you don't know about!" Mac was jumping around shouting at him now. Dennis was way too drunk to deal with this right now. "Just... forgot I said anything okay man? Please." Mac said, calmer now. He was had thrown the empty vodka bottle against the wall. There were several small cuts on his arms and face now, all just slightly bleeding. 

"If it'll make you shut the hell up then yeah I'll forget about it. I doubt either one of us will remember this tomorrow anyway." 

"Whatever man, I'm going." He was now heading for the front door. Dennis wasn't sure if he was going to church or to fling himself of Whitman bridge. His eyes were too heavy and his mouth too dry to care either way. The next morning Mac came into the bar raving about a girl he supposably banged last night. Dennis knew it was bullshit but decided not to say anything. He was suppose to not remember what had happened after all.


	3. The Gang Goes To Hell

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like I wrote this one weirdly but its so episode based there wasnt much room to change things. Its quite short but its mostly filler for the last chapter. (also i didnt bother to read it through bc idc)

"Well I'm gay."

"Yeah. No shit." The gang reply, lack of surprise obvious in their voices.

"Oh you guys knew this already?" Mac didn't think it was that obvious, then again looking back there have been several occasions that could have been seen that way. Oh well.

"That you were gay? From the day we met. Oh, my God, I've been trying Yeah, always." They all muttered. Mac was slightly annoyed that they didn't seem to care that much, its not like he comes out often. Well... not sober at least. It had taken all of a minute for the couple to 'convert' Mac, the other 4 minutes spent crying, being consoled and finding the gang. He still wasn't sure if he was okay with it but if God wasn't real he wouldn't be there to punish him. That was a comfort at least.

...

"It stopped."

"All right, uh, I guess that's good.  
I mean, like like, if something went wrong, they-they'd come down here, they'd get us, right? "

"You know what, guys, what difference does it make? You know? Life is just a series of events with no meaning or plan, you know? It's like, we live, we die, we're gay, we're straight, we're tops, we're bottoms." Dennis hated seeing him like this. All though he hated how crazy religious Mac was, he knew it was an important part of his life. If they ever got out of this hole alive Dennis promised to himself he would do everything he could to help Mac be comfortable with his sexuality and faith. He owned him that much.

...

"Could you mark down in your report, uh, that I'm not gay? Because I'm not." Dennis' heart sank. 'No, no he couldn't do this he couldn't just take it all back. It doesn't work that way, if you say it out loud that means something. You cant just take back something like that.' The gang argued for a short while then gave up. There was really no point in trying, Mac said himself that he'll never change, he's to dug in. 'But you cant just take something like that back' Dennis thought. 'Maybe we need to do something that cant be taken back either.' He knew what he had to do, but first he needed to take a shower because sea water cannot be good for his hair.


End file.
